George Allen pounces on Tim Kaine tax remark

Republican Virginia Senate candidate George Allen pounced on Tim Kaine’s remarks during a debate Thursday that the Democrat is open to having every American pay some federal income taxes.

“I would be open to a proposal that would have some minimum tax level for everyone,” Kaine told moderator David Gregory, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” in response to a question. “But I do insist, many of the 47 percent that Gov. Romney was going after pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than he does.”

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Allen said after the debate that the statement underscores Kaine’s desire to impose higher taxes on struggling, working-class Virginians. Kaine scoffed, calling it no big deal.

Kaine’s tax comments came at the start of an hourlong televised debate in McLean, Va., after the former governor was asked about Mitt Romney’s controversial quip that the 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay federal taxes are dependent on government and see themselves as “victims.”

More than 1 million Virginians don’t pay any federal income taxes, Gregory said.

Allen, who like Kaine is a former Virginia governor, didn’t seize on the tax line during the debate. But he quickly caught on when reporters asked him about the perceived gaffe, saying families hit hard by the dismal economy can’t afford to fork over more money to Uncle Sam.

“It’s typical of Tim Kaine. His record is always one looking to raise taxes,” Allen said, noting that most Americans already pay payroll and sales taxes. “When he was governor, he tried to raise taxes on people earning as little as $17,000 a year. He wanted to raise taxes on buying used cars.

“So for him to say he wants everyone to be paying federal income taxes is typical of that approach,” Allen added.

After the debate, Kaine refused to back off his tax comments, telling reporters it shouldn’t be newsworthy that he wants to enter the Senate from a “position of openness and dialogue.”

“I do not believe you start with: ‘I pledge allegiance to [anti-tax advocate] Grover Norquist. No taxes. Never. We can’t have $1 of revenue even for $10 of cuts. We can’t find any savings on the defense side,’” said Kaine, a former Democratic National Committee chairman.

“You don’t start with the non-negotiables and the pledges. The pledge is your oath of office.”

Kaine’s tax stumble took focus away from a Washington Post poll out Thursday showing Kaine surging ahead of Allen for the first time in a crucial race that will help decide which party controls the Senate next year. A majority of likely voters surveyed – 51 percent – said they were backing Kaine; 43 percent were supporting Allen.

The race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jim Webb had been deadlocked for the past 18 months.

And Kaine’s remarks overshadowed the other revelation of the debate: Allen reluctantly distancing himself from Romney’s “47 percent” comment, which has roiled the presidential contest and which Kaine dismissed as “condescending and divisive.”

Asked several times whether he disagreed with Romney, Allen finally conceded: “I have my own point of view.”

“Our responsibility as leaders, as public servants,” he said, “is to make sure that this is a country where everyone has that equal opportunity to compete and succeed and pursue their dreams.”

During the debate at Capitol One Conference Center, the candidates also clashed over the automatic cuts slated to hit the defense industry in January, extending the Bush tax cuts, and gay marriage.

Allen was also forced to relive an embarrassing gaffe from his failed bid for reelection in 2006, when he called a Democratic video tracker an ethnic slur.

He’s apologized many times for those comments and reiterated that it was a “mistake.”

Throughout the debate, Kaine repeatedly returned to his jobs plan as a solution for dealing with the so-called fiscal cliff at the end of the year.

Under his proposal, George W. Bush-era tax cuts would expire for those making more than $500,000 a year — a contrast with Obama’s $250,000 threshold. He would overhaul Medicare to allow negotiations for prescription drug benefits. And Kaine would get rid of subsidies for Big Oil.

He faulted Allen for offering no plan, and suggested that giving Allen a second chance in the Senate would return the country to the debt-plagued years of the Bush administration.

Allen supported “fiscal time bombs that are still going off today,” Kaine said.

Allen was adamant that the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts should be extended for all Americans. And he suggested Kaine’s jobs proposal favored higher taxes over protecting military jobs — a critical component of Virginia’s defense-heavy economy.

“The men and women of our Armed Forces should never be used as a political bargaining chip,” Allen said.

Kaine retorted: “That is exactly the kind of name-calling we have too much of in Washington.”

Allen and Kaine also split on the hot-button issue of gay marriage, which Obama said this year that he now supports. Allen stuck to the conservative position that marriage should be defined as between one man and one woman.

Kaine, who’s been married to his wife for 28 years, wouldn’t explicitly say he backs gay marriage. But he said he would leave it to churches to decide what ceremonies to hold and state legislatures to decide whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry or have civil unions or domestic partnerships.

“I do believe relationships should be treated equally under law,” Kaine said.

Somehow suggesting people pay more taxes is perceived as outrageous at a time when America is burdened by a crippling National Debt most of which was created under just Reagan, who tripled it from less than $800 billion through Carter, GHW Bush who added to it; and GW Bush who more than doubled it yet again.

Our revenues are at an all-low while spending remains high and the two, 20+years of combined wars are projected to cost $5 trillion as lifetimes of war bills and costly VA healthcare come in. While Romney complained about the 47% who pay no taxes [federal], he fails to mention that 4,000 millionaires pay no federal taxes and even most of the big corporations like Exxon-Mobile, AT&T, General Electric, Verizon, pay no federal taxes and most corporations do not pay the top rate but about half the top rate of 35%. Many aflluent military retirees also pay no federal taxes while receiving $55 billion in subsidied healthcare over and above the VA. Their increased payment comes to $550. Notice that Romney does not mention cutting out his 15% instead of 35% "carried interest" tax rate he got for his huge Bain Capital salary or the reduced 15% instead of 35% tax rate on his idle rich wealth income. If the rich and rich corporations paid their fair share, the services people take for granted would be covered.

No mention of course of the five million manufacturing jobs shipped overseas under Bush-Cheney or the thousands of tax-dodging corporations whose assets were also stashed offshore depriving the Treasury out of needed revenue as also happened under the Wall St. bankster fraud that took $15 trillion from Americans' household wealth and cut into federal and state tax revenues. The GOP tried to initially blame hapless homeowners, particularly black homeowners before the truth came out. If corporations who pay aboutb 10% of all taxes actually paid their fair share that alone adds $80 billion not counting all the tax evasions.

Somehow suggesting people pay more taxes is perceived as outrageous at a time when America is burdened by a crippling National Debt most of which was created under just Reagan, who tripled it from less than $800 billion through Carter, GHW Bush who added to it; and GW Bush who more than doubled it yet again.

HHmmmm You forgot Clinton and the biggest offender of all OBAMA !!!!!!! Who has raised the debt more than ALL THE COMBINED PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS !!!!

The GOP is grasping for straws. The tax code is a jumbled,loophole filled mess to be taken advantage of by those who can afford to pay for that expertise. I do believe everyone should contribute to the America that is decaying daily. Hell I know I pay an arm and a leg in taxes!

Isn't that what Biden once said - everybody should have "skin in the game"? It's only patriotic, according to Joe.

In essence, when he made the statement, the 47% who don't pay federal taxes are UNpatriotic, by his definition. Say it ain't so, Joe!

Every able-bodied person who benefits from the use of roads, infrastructure, water works, electricity, gas, our national security, etc., should pay something. It's called having ownership. If one perceives that something is owned, better care will be taken - and more respect for that which is owned will occur.

The interesting thing about Virginia is that often our Democrats are more fiscally conservative as our Republicans. The real differences usually come down to social issues. If you look at our recent history in electing Senators and Governors you will see that party affiliation really doesn't matter much.